Road trip suggestions pls: Maine, Boston, & Vermont
 

My boyfriend and I are planning a road trip this summer going from Montreal to Maine to Boston to Vermont and ending in Toronto (home).

My boyfriend is a chef and appreciates the outdoors. Looking to do a mix of camping, cool inns, trendy restaurants/ amazing 'dives', adventurous/outdoor hotspots and all the cool places not to miss in each city.

Looking for advice, reliable websites, recommendations, etc.

Altogether the trip will be a week - trying to see a lot but nothing that will be too hectic.

Thanks for the advice!

Portland ME - see chowhound for food recommendations. We liked the choice of lobster rolls and local soda at Bite Into Maine food truck that parks in Fort Williams park in south Portland. The food tour was average. You can probably explore the Old Port Area on your own. Don't miss Duckfat French fries, the seafood/fish store on the waterfront (if you're camping you can get things to cook). Mount Desert Ice Cream! (get the sampler dish AFTER getting some free tastes so go when it's not busy. I really didn't care for chocolate ice cream with wasabi but you might like the combo of hot and cold)

I enjoyed both Boston's North End and Chinatown food tours with Michelle Topor. History plus food samples! Chinatown ends with dim sum lunch. Book ahead.

Check out ziplines and mountain biking in NH. Nice kayaking in the Concord NH area (take a picnic lunch)

Both Brattleboro VT and Montpelier VT have great farmers markets on Saturdays with prepared food vendors. If you can't make it on a Saturday, visit a food coop such as Concord NH, Hanover NH, where you can find local cheeses. Of course, you can also get cheese and wine trail maps from each state which could be fun. Oddest place for pizza is Pizza on Earth in Charlotte VT. Bakery on a farm with very limited hours.

Hippo Press is a free weekly newspaper (also website) that has a good list of restaurants and food events. There's also a beer tour of Portsmouth NH you can go on.

Thank you, that's very helpful! I'd love more ideas of where to stay if anyone has them too

You didn't mention New Hampshire, which for camping and hiking is perhaps the best in New England. The New Hampshire state parks in the White Mountains are very well run and quite scenic. Vermont is very, very picturesque, particularly on the back roads. The Waitsfield-Warren area is one of my favorites. As for dining in these two states, Montpelier is the home to the New England Culinary Institute, and they have a restaurant in town. Sarduccis and Julios in Montpelier are also quite good. In New Hampshire, Hanover (home of Dartmouth College) has several very good places to eat including the Thai Orchard, Canoe Club and Mollys. Have you been to Yankeemagazine.com? - lots of good info.

Google Vermont Farm to Playe(F2P)
There are many small food producers, high quality, which should interest your chef.

Come in thru northern Maine to the Moosehead Lake area. Lots of outdoor activities in that area.

Stayed in Greenville Maine last summer and loved it. Not sure if it makes sense geographically for you but check it out. I have a trip report on it from last year should show up under my profile.

Day 1 Montreal to Bar Harbor
Day 2 Bar Harbor and Mt Desert Island
Day 3 bar Harbor to Rockland to Portland
Day 4 Portland with mailboat ride
Day 5 Portland to White Mountains (maybe Littleton, NH)
Day 6 Littleton to Burlington
Day 7 Burlington to Toronto

Where's Boston? You don't have time.

A lot of this is going to be looking out the windows at trees. The Maine Coast south of Rockland is great if you stay off the major highways.

Cross NH and Vermont on state and local routes. Burlington and Portland are great foodie towns.

Your trip would have a little less seat time in the car if you did:

Day 1 Montreal to Burlington
Day 2 Burlington to White Mts NH
Day 3 NH to Bar Harbor
Day 4 Bar Harbor to Rockland
day 5 Rockland to Portland
day 6 Portland or go to Boston
day 7 Boston to Toronto (hwy all the way)

You say Toronto is home, so how does Montreal fit in? Will you already be there? Or do we need to factor in the drive from Toronto to Montreal as well?

Montreal is a wedding so it's just a starting point for the 'road trip' portion of our journey- but yes, home is Toronto. I think we will leave out Boston, sounds like it's too much

I don't think Bar Harbor is worth the drive for such a limited visit.

Check out NH Mushroom Company. They are at several farmers markets. Growing specialty mushrooms in Tamworth NH (near White Mountains) but doesn't look like they do retail sales at their home location. See their farmers market schedule.

Emalloy's trip is better than mine. It cuts out a lot of trees in Northern Maine at the expense of Burlington twice. I would change Day 1 to Montreal to St Johnsbury to White Mountains, giving you time to explore and day hike in Franconia or Crawford Notch. Then US Route 2 to the Maine Coast, past the Presidential Range.